Reducing Paper Junk Mail and Telemarketing Calls in Cambridge (MA, USA)

Reduce Paper Junk Mail

Here is some information to reducing junk mail specifically in Cambridge and the Boston area (and may apply elsewhere).

1) Envelope filled with coupons for local businesses:
Valpack (Cox Target Media, US and Canada)
Call 1.800.676.6878 (listed on the envelope), Boston office: 1.800.550.5025
or use their online form to remove your address from their mailing list (enter the information as it is printed on the envelope). If you use their coupons, remove your name from their mailing list and get and print coupons as you need them from their website.

2) Larger magazine-sized mailing with a newsprint cover and filled with inserts from supermarkets and pharmacies:
GlobeDirect, subsidiary of the Boston Globe, 508-871-1900 (printed)

There’s no information on their website but you can call:
Jennifer Larson at 617-871-1980
(I initially called Mary Surro, the customer service supervisor, who was out of the office. I then spoke with Pat (?) who connected me with Jennifer, who handles mail list removals. I left her a message, but let’s see if she actually exists and/or calls me back.)

Just in case, here is a list to Globe Direct contacts posted on their website:
Paul Pelland, Sales Director, 508.871.1944, P_Pelland@globe.com
Mary Surro, Customer Service Supervisor, 508.871.1917, msurro@globe.com

Unfortunately these companies have no real incentive to actually remove you from their mailing list. Keeping the number of households their mailings reach high helps them to continue to make money selling advertising.

Previous posts:

Reducing credit card and insurance offers.

Reducing catalogs and other paper-based junk mail.

Reduce Telemarketing Calls

You may already know of the National Do Not Call program (needs to be renewed every five years, unless the law or regulation is changed to make it permanent), but did you know that there are is a state-based one for Massachusetts?

In case, you reside outside of MA, link to this index to all the states with a local Do Not Call program.